


Heartfelt

by dovine



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, College, Female Friendship, Ficlet, Friendship, Gen, Grown-up, Male Friendship, Modern, Modern Universe, Oneshot, Pizza, School, Slice of Life, University Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24972613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dovine/pseuds/dovine
Summary: Two short stories about college life for Percy, Leo, Piper, and Hazel.
Kudos: 8
Collections: Discord Community Archive





	1. The Bug in Dorm 3A

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my profile JinSun on FFN.

The start of the new semester was increasingly worrying for Percy. He knew he had to study more, but it was so hard to concentrate these days. It felt like every time he sat down to focus on his schoolwork, his mind wandered and he found himself aimlessly staring into space. He'd snap himself out of it for a few minutes, but in no time he was back to drooling, his sea-green eyes glossed over like the cover of his calculus textbook.

It probably didn't help that his roommate was Leo Valdez.

Percy didn't have anything against the guy of course. The two of them got along famously, most likely because they were both terrible at studying and much preferred to dork around and order take-out rather than focus on their work. Percy's grades were definitely showing it.

Today was different though, or at least Percy argued that in his head. October's midterms were just around the corner, and if he didn't pick up his grades and pass his classes with at the very least a C+, there was a good chance he wouldn't have his scholarships renewed for the following semester. If that happened he'd have to take out some larger student loans. He could already see the soft smile his mother would give him, even though he knew she would be secretly disappointed in him. Percy couldn't bear to do that to his mother.

_ CRASH! _

The sudden noise jarred him out of yet another daydream. It sounded like someone had tipped a dresser over onto a tub of wine glasses filled with metal beads. A few moments later, the noise was followed by several unrefined grunts and much swearing. With a heavy sigh he lifted himself from his bed and abandoned the unturned page of his textbook.

The layout of their dorm always seemed strange to Percy. For whatever reason, the original architect had decided to put the only two rooms in the dorm directly adjacent to each other on one end of a long narrow hallway. The other end led to a small bathroom and an equally small kitchen. Despite the interior being renovated with new tiling, carpet, counters, and paint, it wasn't the best living conditions given what he was paying in room and board, but this was to be expected for a building erected in the 50's.

Percy stepped out of his room into the hallway, the wooden floor cooling his bare feet. He knew he'd regret knocking on Leo's door come test day, but it was probably a good idea to make sure his eccentric roommate hadn't accidentally jumped out the window during one of his experiments.

"Leo? What the heck was that?" he asked, knocking loudly.

A few moments later the door flew open, way faster than Percy thought doors were made to swing. He was surprised the hinges didn't break off right then and there, but god knows that wasn't the first time Leo had done that. His short scraggly roommate stood perfectly framed in the doorway with the most bewildered look painted across his impish face. He was wearing nothing but a frilly green apron that you'd only see in an infomercial at a retirement home and a baggy pair of jeans that certainly weren't ripped when he bought them.

That wasn't what was unusual though, as Leo always dressed like that when he was either cooking or tinkering with some spare parts he brought home from the campus workshop. His usual disheveled self wasn't what shocked Percy, it was the catastrophe he'd created behind him. It turned out Leo actually had tipped over his dresser for whatever reason, bringing his entire toolbox and all the junk on top with it.

"What in god’s name are you doing?" he managed. It was a good question.

"There was a cockroach," Leo replied coolly. Apparently this was an everyday event for him.

"That's disgusting. Did you kill it?" Percy hated cockroaches. He was fairly certain everyone hated them though. They were awful creatures.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it's under my dresser," he waived to the mess behind him. "Wanna help? I figure if we torch it then it won't be able to lay eggs in our brains while we sleep."

Percy shuddered in disgust. "Sure, but let's be quick about it, I've got studying to do after this, and so do you."

"Yea yea. I'm fine hombre, my grades are gucci. That's what happens when you only take electives your first year, especially electives you're good at."

Percy knew he was right. The one elective he'd taken this semester was a small course in marine biology, and he was loving every moment of it, mostly because it was the only class he actually did well in without trying. A science credit was a science credit, and he'd always loved the ocean. Long Island University wasn't known for its marine studies, but at least they offered something for the students who showed some interest. That being said, Percy only had nine other students in his class. Apparently marine biology was less than popular.

Leo once again snapped him back into reality. "Alright so here's the plan. You lift the dresser up and I'll kill it with this Bunsen burner," he said lifting up a rusted metal box.

"How about we don't burn down the building and instead you swat it with a shoe?" Percy responded. He was used to these sorts of antics.

"Lame. On three?" Leo grabbed a loafer.

"One." Percy prepared to lift the huge dresser off the ground.

"Two."

"Three!" Percy heaved against the dresser as hard as his toned arms would allow. With much more effort than expected he shoved the furniture up as far as he could, his veins bulging on his forehead.

Leo expertly slammed the shoe down on the large brown cockroach that limped around in circles. Apparently the two-ton dresser had only slightly injured it.

"Amazing," Leo announced. "If humans are ever wiped out, these nasty suckers are going to inherit our world."

"What the hell kind of clothing do you keep in here Leo?" Percy finished propping the dresser back up against the wall. If Leo hadn't bolted all his drawers shut with metal latches, they'd have had a much bigger problem on their hands.

"Oh, I don't keep clothes in there, those go in the closet," he replied motioning over to a pile of laundry spilling out of an already filled wardrobe.

There was no way to tell what was clean and what wasn't, but apparently Leo knew since he never smelled bad.

"My dresser is for my work," he continued, popping open a latch and pulling out a dresser packed with an assortment of screws, bolts, nuts, nails, hinges, and an oddly large amount of scrap metal. "The footlocker they gave us at school can't fit all my stuff, so I had to improvise."

Percy looked at him incredulously. "Don't tip this thing over again, you're going to kill the people beneath us when this falls through the floor. This building is over sixty years old you know."

"Nah, I've already got that accounted for. I've done the math. Want some eggs?" he asked, lifting up the Bunsen burner as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"Uh...no. Speaking of math I need to finish my lab. Try not to burn the dorms down since I'm leaving you unsupervised." Percy shook his head, giving one final glance at the mess Leo had left behind. He closed the door to his own room and picked up where he left off, studying to the muffled sound of Leo whistling in kitchen.

Somehow, it helped him concentrate.


	2. Pizza on Amsterdam Street

Piper's day was not going well. First, she had forgotten to print out her assignment for her constitutional law class, then she has stepped in a puddle of freezing water, and only then did she finally realize that she was standing in front of the wrong building. On the other side of campus.

What a fantastic start to the week.

Her mitted hand grasped the doorknob of room 208, Piper's temporary home which she happily shared with Hazel Levesque. The door creaked open on its familiar hinges and revealed a neatly arranged kitchen. Everything from the toaster to the oven doors was pink, purple, and by Hazel's request, obsidian black. Piper may have been a criminal justice major, but she was a girl nonetheless, and despite everyone's comments, she knew the place was cute.

Hazel shifted her eyes up from her laptop. "Hey. You look tired, long day?" she commented.

"God you don't even know the half of it. I forgot my paper for Dr. Zeudus then accidentally walked all the way to Labyrinth Hall." Piper sighed, throwing off her scarf and coat onto counter. Her backpack sagged dejectedly under the weight of all her books and papers. "It's a miracle I even made it to class, to be honest."

"Isn't this the second or, like, third time this has happened?" Hazel replied.

"Don't remind me. I'm not ditsy I just have a ton on my mind." She shuffled over to the door to her room, her soggy footsteps echoing against the aged walls.

"Is…is that your stomach?" Hazel looked at her with a mix of slight disgust and pity.

"No! It's not I swear! I stepped in a stupid puddle of water and now my boots are soaked." She lifted her leg and shook it for emphasis. "Wool doesn't dry very fast."

Hazel suppressed a laugh. "And it doesn't smell very good wet either. You should put them in the bathroom overnight so that it doesn't reek like a barn when we wake up tomorrow."

She smiled but rolled her eyes anyway. "What, like you have a problem with barn smell? Every time you go home your Instagram is just a constant feed of horse pictures."

"Hey! Horses are different!" Hazel's curly hair bounced with excitement, seemingly agreeing.

Piper always envied her hair. It was easy to go from curly to straight; any standard curling iron could accomplish that much but getting hair as straight as Piper's to curl up was a logistical nightmare. She knew she shouldn't be jealous given her own looks, but she couldn't help it. It was in her nature.

Piper grabbed her laptop from her bag and plopped down on the couch across from Hazel's. "Well, time for five hours of homework. Livin' the life."

"It'll be worth it," came an unfocused reply. Hazel was already back into her own work, the gleam of the screen glowing on her skin.

This was the usual schedule for their shared nights. One would get home later than the other, they'd chat for maybe five minutes or so, then dive right back into the never-ending work. Piper wished she was still a freshman where things were so much simpler. Back then she could sleep in, miss class, and even get away with cramming for an exam the night before. These days it wasn't so simple. It felt like all their time was spent doing nothing but work, like they didn't even have time to breathe or experience real life.

She scrolled through her notes, the text blurring into a haze of black fog. The stress from all her homework and the upcoming midterms pounded in her head. Unable to concentrate, she defeatedly laid back on the couch, staring aimlessly at the celling.

"Hey Hazel?"

A few moments passed. "…hmm?" Hazel distractedly pulled her head up from her work. "What?"

"I can't concentrate," she replied.

"I can." Hazel stared pointedly at her, refusing to break eye contact.

Piper ignored the obvious frustration and pressed further. "Want to go get some pizza? Pleeease! I feel like we never do anything anymore. Let's go out and relax for once!"

She could tell it was difficult for Hazel to deny her pleading. It had been a long time since either of them went anywhere but school.

Well, maybe…" Hazel replied, glancing back at her computer. "But we can't go out long, and I get to choose the place."

"Yes! I win!" Piper shot up and ran to grab her shoes. She knew she could convince Hazel to come, especially if it was in her own interest. "Hurry up, I'm starving," she called from her closet.

The two girls arrived at Demeter's, a slick New York style pizzeria specializing in unique toppings. It was only a five-minute walk from their dorms, and the place was popular among the college students.

Piper grabbed the door for Hazel with a smirk. "Thanks for choosing the same place I was going to, buddy-ol-pal." The strong aroma of freshly baked dough wafted out as a burst of warm air, splitting the chilly night like a hot knife in butter.

"I realized all too late the only other option is Caesar's. I'd rather eat slugs." Hazel shivered, stepping into the warm restaurant.

"I'm sure we can arrange that," she laughed, walking up to the counter to view the day's specials. "I wonder if they have anchovies like last time," she muttered to herself.

"Gross. I'm not eating at the same table if you order that."

"Well, you're in luck. They've got onion-ring pizza though, I think I'll give that a go." Piper ordered two slices, dumping her change in the tip bin. "What are you gonna get?"

"Green olive?" Hazel bent over the windowed counter, her thick hair blocking her face from view. "It's what I usually get when I don't like the specials."

"Well, as long as it's not pineapple," Piper chuckled.

Hazel looked personally attacked, her eyes gleaming with betray. "What's wrong with pineapple?"

"It's for plebeians and heretics, that's what," Piper replied. Pizza wasn't supposed to have fruit on it. It'd be like eating a hotdog with jelly; it just wasn't right.

They gathered their food and sat down at a small table against the wall. They ate quietly, enjoying the calming silence after a long day of homework and stress. Piper knew she would have to stay up later just to finish her work, but it felt great to finally be able to recharge herself after so long without a real break. Sometimes she felt like she was just living to work, as she had expressed to Hazel many times.

"Thanks for coming out with me Hazel," she said. "I know you've got a ton of work too, I just needed a break with a friend."

Hazel smiled sweetly, her teeth sparkling in the dim light of the pizzeria. "Anytime, you know that. I needed a break too."

It was nice to have a friend like Hazel. No matter how stressed she was, no matter how swamped with work the two of them were, she knew Hazel would always be there to relax and comfort her. Piper only hoped she brought the same happiness to her in return.


End file.
